Guest Reviews

Villa Song Saigon: "A Perfect End to a Vacation"

Often at the end of a trip, I return home needing a real vacation. However, after a month of travel from Hanoi to Saigon, a three-day stay at the Villa Song was the ideal way to savor the Vietnam experience. The natural beauty of the surroundings is enhanced by the attention to detail in the selection of furnishings and finishes in the rooms and public spaces. I grudgingly left the domed parlor room on my art suite to enjoy meals at the waterside restaurant. Most important, however, is the air of serenity reinforced by Yega (the manager), whose inherent calm manner and desire to please made this the perfect end to a vacation.

Chakrabongse Villas: "Romantic getaway"

"Secluded behind a nondescript door lay the ancient palace grounds of Chakrabongse. Once you step inside you are out of the beaten tourist paths of the surrounding Grand Place and nearby temples. Each of the 6 unique ""rooms"" has its special features. Our Thai house overlooked the main courtyard leading to the river. A lot of space and a generous balcony added to the feeling of your own private residence. The meticulously trimmed gardens and the pool next to the river make this place an oasis. Restaurant facilities are limited though. You are served a set Thai dinner that is generous in portions but leaves no choices or alterations. The wine list is also limited but is designed to compliment the food. Last service is at 8pm. The staff (in our case singular) had troubles to keep up with service. I would recommend this place for a luxury weekend but there might be better food options outside."

Rachamankha: "Best of Chiang Mai"

I've stayed frequently in Chiang Mai, and this place is gem. Peaceful, quaint, friendly. A real oasis of calm and serenity. Great restaurant - for breakfast and for dinner. Lovely pool. Old world charm. Excellent service. No drama, and an escape from the hustle and bustle.

Amata Lanna: "Hidden Gem! Best place to stay in Chiang Mai"

Amata Lanna was absolutely beautiful, the woodwork design adds a lot of character to the boutique hotel. Their interior design and furniture makes the place feels authentic. My stay was super comfortable, jacuzzi after the pool was such a treat, spa right in your room! The staffs are very friendly and informative. Couldn't have asked for a better stay in Chiang Mai. Make sure to check out the night market there. Will definitely come back again in the future.

Mathis Retreat: "Excellent Boutique Hotel"

"Me and my girlfriend (both 25 y/o from London) stayed at the Mathis Retreat for 5 nights. We thought it was fantastic and was everything we were looking for from our first visit to Bali. Room: We stayed in room 1, this was one of the bungalows and it was beautiful. (As in, we got that tingly feeling of excitement when we walked in!). The decor was tasteful, the room was cool and spacious and amenities such as shampoo and tea were provided. Food: The restaurant on site was fantastic. Breakfast is from a menu where you choose the things that you want, then they are cooked and brought to you. There is a good range of food and as we tried everything (more than once) we can confidently say it was all delicious. However, breakfast paled in comparison to just how great dinner was - arguably some of the nicest food we had during our 3 week stay. It is more expensive than most other places but is worth it particularly considering the environment and setting (see below). There is a great range of Indonesian and westernized food. Setting/Environment: If rice fields and nature is your jam then this place will certainly deliver. Sitting at the restaurant/in the pool and overlooking the fields is spectacular and on arrival will certainly give that wow factor. Truly the photos on TA do not do it justice. Staff: Everyone is lovely, it really is as simple as that. Even when waking the receptionist at 2:15 am (climbing Batur) he came out with a smile and did everything he could to help. Special shout out goes to Karen the manager who clearly makes an effort to talk to all the guests and provide insight into what can be done in Ubud and how to do everything you want to. Tours/Guides: We tried to do as much as we could for our stay in Ubud and think 5 days was the perfect amount of time. However, this was utilizing the guides provided by Karen who were superb and we would highly recommend using them as oppose to navigating the place yourself. In particular, we were very humbled by an opportunity to visit one of the guides homes and see how him, his family and their community live (they had a blacksmith, weaver and fighting chickens!). This was an eye opener into just how different life is for most locals in Bali and how tourism has changed things. Our guides name was 'Susa Wayan' get him if you can! Conclusion: Mathis Retreat was great and we can't really fault it. Staff made it clear they were there to help for any issue and would definitely go back if in that part of the world again. One final point - we paid 350k for the journey to the airport in kuta. Don't pay anymore than that (and you can probably get it cheaper!)"

SEEDS Restaurant & Lounge: "Excellent"

We were a bit reluctant to go as it was 40 minutes from the hotel in the awful Yangon traffic, but it was superb and well worth it - despite the restaurant having a party of 100 Swiss pensioners there as well! The food and service were terrific.

Reverie Siam: "Gem"

"This place is simply put great. Very much enjoyed the open/ lofty lobby and restaurant with a more tapas style cuisine and a really decent wine selection. Check the daily specials that are not on the menu. Very friendly staff. Live music at night or jazz through sound system. Rooms/houses are comfy, the outdoor space nicely done. Pool uses no chlorine, consequently the water looks greenish but your eyes don't burn after a swim. Would certainly come back again."

Muang La Lodge: "Excellent"

Muang La Lodge is one of a kind--I stayed only two nights, but wish I could have stayed two weeks. The staff are charming and attentive, and have a way of foreseeing your every need. The food is fantastic--particularly the five-course dinners--and the service is top-notch. Highly recommend taking a nice soak (or fifty) in the hot spring, and making the trek to see the local villages in the hills. The rooms are comfortable and wifi is available, but let's be honest: those emails from your horrible boss can wait, and you can binge watch Netflix when you're not in paradise. In short, one of the most positive and relaxing stays I've had in a long time. So treat yourself--we all know you deserve it.

Hotel Tugu Malang: "Great historical place!"

"We had a pleasure to stay at Tugu. This hotel is like a museum -- antique collections from through out Java with some twist of local chinese immigrants house in a very nice Dutch colonial era building(s). Do not miss the complimentary afternoon teatime and snacks. You will also enjoy Melati restaurant located next to the swimming pool serving great traditional and western dishes. I recommend the ZAMRUD room (a step up) — larger than king size bed, huge handmade round bathtub and so on. We wish we had more time to explore the hotel. Perhaps next time."

Tugu Bali: "Beauty in Bali"

"We had a lovely stay here in September, sadly of only 2 nights... We were greeted and welcomed so well when we arrived after a long journey and nothing was too much for the staff. This area of Canggu is near to Echo Beach and a part of Bali that we see has not been spoilt yet... We were told that Seminyak was the place to go but I disagee and would strongly advise this area as it is more pure and real Bali than Seminyak. Our Dedari suite room at the hotel was truly beautiful and an outdoor/indoor bathroom with fish pond! Only downside was that we thought the hotel was on the beach but it isn't although just a few steps away..."